


Bionicle RaE: Part 3 Summary

by Sepublic



Category: Bionicle - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25384147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sepublic/pseuds/Sepublic
Summary: Part 3 of Bionicle: RaE, the first 'Part' of this series that truly begins the term 'Expanded' in the title. Unlike the previous two parts, the storyline for this is wholly original, not being an adaptation of any of G2's storylines!Part 3: Life follows the aftermath of Makuta's defeat. The Okotans are recovering from his attempted razing of Okoto, when a new threat emerges; The Dark Hunters, a powerful mercenary organization led by The Shadowed One. Through Narmoto, they learn the existence of another island like Okoto, one named Xia... This cursed land is an industrial hell-scape, clogged up with mindless expansion and factories, with little to no room for nature. When it becomes apparent that The Shadowed One is gathering the lost fragments of the Mask of Life, the Toa and their allies journey to Xia to stop the Dark Hunters, and come across multiple other people and journeys along the way...
Kudos: 1





	Bionicle RaE: Part 3 Summary

Part 3: Life

Makuta is dead.

He was vanquished in the battle on the Mount of Darkness’ peak, slain by his brother Ekimu the Mask Maker, now Toa of Creation. Axonn, Kualus, Vakama, Lesovikk, and Brutaka have all disappeared, with Krahka and the Rahi going their own ways; Save for the Red Serpent, which stays with its Okotan friends. Okoto itself has suffered grievous scars from the Elemental Horde’s razing of the island, but now the fully-empowered Elemental Deities are working to heal the damage, bit by bit. It is a long and arduous process, but progress is definite.

While the Deities are no doubt grateful to the Toa, by the end of the day their alliance dictated the mutual defeat of their respective enemies, before cutting ties off. Thus, the Elemental Deities are only bound to repair Okoto, while the Okotan Alliance works by itself to track down and handle the remaining members of the Brotherhood of Makuta. Still, some endearing memories and experiences are held close to heart, even if deities are normally not supposed to interact with mortals and favor them too much.

The Toa are celebrated as eternal heroes, and as the Toa of Creation, Ekimu is crafting Masks of Power and other ingenious inventions at an unprecedented rate. Yes, there are Brotherhood forces still out there and unaccounted for, in hiding ever since Makuta’s demise. But with Makuta himself dead and Umarak trapped within the Mask of Shadows, hidden in an undisclosed location by Ekimu; What is there to fear? It seems that a new Creation Age is approaching, a second one no longer marred by Makuta’s influence, a reborn era wary of the mistakes of the past and willing to rectify them. The celebration with Makuta’s defeat was immense.

So why is Narmoto so nervous?

The Protector of Fire is definitely relieved by the defeat of Makuta, certainly- But now that Makuta is out of his mind, it seems an old fear, once locked away in the face of more immediate threats, is resurfacing… His wife and his son, Lhii, are concerned.

Almost as if in response to Narmoto’s concern, a string of ghastly, grisly murders suddenly emerges across Okoto. Reports come in, of Okotans found dead in their sleep, their bodies torn asunder as if by some horrific beast- Yet those nearby never recalled hearing such a monster. Checking the room where the slain had slept, there is no trace of a struggle, no trace of anything, be it a Skull Spider, or Energy Leech, or the like having made its way into the bedroom. Locked doors remained locked the entire time, with mechanisms set in place to detect if they are breached; Only for the mechanisms to remain still, even as the next morning another victim is found dead.

Paranoia quickly besets Okoto as it rallies warily, trying to ascertain the threat. Something is killing others in their sleep, when nobody else is watching; And somehow doing it without setting off a single alarm, without alerting anyone or anything. The Toa, Protectors, and other warriors remain vigilant and on guard, unsure of what to do. Eventually, a clever experiment is held, as someone is instructed to don a Mask of Stealth and watch over a friend.

Days pass- Until one night, that sleeping friend begins thrashing about, increasingly distressed from a horrific dream of some sort, as they begin moving around. They begin to react with increasing intensity to their nightmare, terrified- Until wounds suddenly appear across their body. Before anything too bad can happen, the victim is awoken just in time.

The victim tells of a horrific nightmare appearing in their sleep, specifically targeting them. When it harmed them with its claws, those same wounds appeared in the real world, terrifying the Okotan Alliance- Their new foe, this new killer, is a being who can access the dreams of others and kill victims within them.

Everyone is mystified, with Ekimu recalling legends of those who could access dreams, but usually such examples were found right beside the dreamer in order to infiltrate the mind. How is this possible? Regardless, the Okotans remain vigilant and on-guard, attempting to stay awake as much as possible. People are instructed to sleep in groups and shifts, with allies watching over one another as they sleep, ready to wake someone up in case a bad dream evolves into something worse.

As Okoto becomes exhausted, Onua hypothesizes that whoever is doing this is bound to space- Recent, subsequent kills all happen close to one another, indicating the culprit is travelling, entering dreams to kill, and then moving on. Thus, they presumably can’t access the dream of someone far away, so for every recent kill in one region of the island, everywhere else is presumably safe. This theory seems to work somewhat, and guards are set out to areas with recent attacks. Masks of Power are made to detect anything, but nothing can track down the mysterious killer- And when someone IS attacked, Masks of Radar and the like only detect the victim’s soul!

Eventually, the killings suspiciously cease, but everyone continues to remain on-guard. One night, Ekimu falls asleep… Only to be attacked in his nightmares.

However, Ekimu is prepared, having donned the Mask of Control. With full control over his own mind, Ekimu is able to manipulate the world in his dreams even better than the shape-shifting perpetrator, and captures them in his grasp. The killer, caught, shifts back into their true form; A serpentine, bat-winged creature with elastic properties.

The killer reveals their name and identity, to Ekimu’s shock; He is Yagavo, one of the Rahkshi, Sons of Makuta! Yagavo, incensed and mourning his father’s death, has vowed to avenge Makuta by slaying his enemies and continuing the Mask Hoarder’s original plan to take his rightful place among the gods.

Ekimu attempts to keep Yagavo trapped in his dream with the Mask of Control, but Yagavo, underneath desperate circumstances, breaks out of the dream himself by revealing his presence in the real world. Yagavo’s physical body suddenly manifests besides Ekimu’s sleeping form, now free of the dream, even as Ekimu himself awakens and immediately attacks.

As Okotan forces immediately awaken during the commotion, Yagavo manages to escape, his abilities revealed; The power to access a parallel, dark version of Okoto, devoid of all life. This ‘Para-Realm’, as he calls it, is Okoto’s shadows, reflecting and mirroring its landscape. If a pit is dug into Okoto, minutes afterwards an actual pit will form in the Para-Realm, in the exact, identical place.

If Yagavo goes into the Para-Realm and moves forward five-feet, and then heads back to Okoto, he will be five-feet away from where he disappeared. The Para-Realm is like an identical map, laid directly over Okoto, and by accessing it, Yagavo can disappear completely from one world, undetectable and unstoppable. Yagavo had used this ability to access the dreams of Okotans from the Para-Realm, enabling him to stealthily kill people without having to expose himself in the light world.

Yagavo escapes, even as Ekimu alerts and warns the rest of Okoto, which is dismayed but not too surprised to see that more of Makuta’s creations are now resurfacing. Even as Okoto regathers its arms, Yagavo resurfaces, now leading what is left of the Brotherhood of Makuta. The Okotan Alliance goes into conflict with Yagavo and the Brotherhood of Makuta, with Yagavo utilizing the threats of his dream-murders to keep Okotans anxious and awake, exhausting soldiers and making it easier for Brotherhood forces to take them out in the real world. The Toa hunt down Yagavo, who is well-aware of his physical weakness, being a glass-cannon compared to the rest of his brethren.

Meanwhile, Matoro herself begins to have a recurring nightmare of a darkened being, but is it not one that seems to necessarily hurt her- Just torment Matoro psychologically, with Yagavo elsewhere. Matoro makes sure to tell the others of this, but based on the evidence, it’s apparently just that- A dream. Or, a vision…?

Elsewhere, Taiki spots the demigod Krevasse, sneaking away with a stolen egg in tow- Upon being noticed, Krevasse panics and drops the egg. Curious, Taiki picks up the egg and takes it to Kinigan scholars to study, but nobody can recognize its species! Not even Ekimu is aware what this egg will birth, and fascinated, Taiki takes it upon herself to work on hatching the egg. She sets to work, nursing the egg tenderly, figuring out how to nurture it, even as she makes plans to track down Krahka and see if her knowledge on Rahi can help.

All the while, Narmoto remains concerned. Whatever has been troubling him isn’t Yagavo- So what is it, then?

During a battle against the Brotherhood of Makuta, Gali ends up being endangered. Just before she can defend herself, she is suddenly barraged with intense, mental agony, leaving her vulnerable for an Energy Leech to attack. Luckily, she is rescued just in time by her allies, and everyone is left wondering what could’ve performed the attack. Perhaps it was a Kal, having absorbed the powers of a Mask of Telepathy… But even so, Gali notes that this mental attack was far more intense and concentrated than any Mask of Telepathy she had come up against. Likewise, there weren’t any Kal nearby; So who could’ve done it? Yagavo had never displayed such an ability.

As everyone else begins to consider the possibility of yet another Rahkshi, Narmoto inquires as to the exact location of this battle. After learning the information, he dons a Mask of Stealth and heads by himself, alone, to where the battle had been held. He makes sure to watch from afar, wielding a Mask of Sight, and waits…

Unbeknownst to him, a wary Yagavo learned of the unusual mental attack from the forces present at that battle, and heads off to investigate, watching Okoto from the Para-Realm and spying on Narmoto. He begins to look around the source of the mental attack, having his suspicions, and stumbles across something in the tunnels of the Para-Realm…

Narmoto heads underground, but is secretly trailed by Ekimu, who has heard of the Protector of Fire’s unusual behavior and is now investigating himself. Underground, Narmoto finds a pale, hunched-over being, huddling in the darkness, and addresses them as Dweller. Dwller smugly addresses Narmoto like an old comrade, mocking him over the new life and ‘fake name’ he had made for himself on Okoto- But he warns Narmoto that the past will continue to haunt him, always, and is about to return. The shadow of Narmoto’s crimes has been trailing him for a while, and now it’s about to emerge.

Dweller assaults Narmoto with a powerful mental barrage, but a prepared Narmoto manages to fight back somewhat. During the battle, Dweller is forced to move around and is briefly struck, causing him to drop something; A faded, golden-shard, of unspeakably old age, faint and worn-down from centuries of not only decay, but by a day of something far more powerful…

Ekimu, arriving to help Narmoto, is shocked, immediately recognizing it as a fragment; A shard, one of six, from the Mask of Life all those years ago.

Ekimu immediately demands to Dweller how he found this shard, and if he knows the location of the others- But Dweller retaliates with another mental attack. Ekimu, prepared, creates a shield that is able to defend himself and lunges in to defeat Dweller, only for Yagavo to appear. Yagavo teleports in from the Para-Realm, seeing his chance to kill Ekimu, and manages to wound the Mask Maker as he focuses his attention on the Rahkshi. Dweller, seeing an opportunity, begins fleeing down the tunnels, even as his mental power summons something else…

To Narmoto’s shock, a massive, subterranean worm appears, swallowing Dweller whole. For a moment, Narmoto is unsure of what happened- But then he realizes Dweller must somehow still be alive. Ekimu, adapting to Yagavo’s sudden ambush, begins to contact everyone else to help him catch Dweller, even as Yagavo calls in his own Brotherhood forces.

Okotans and Toa arrive to fight, with the Brotherhood of Makuta coming in to intercept. In the chaos, Dweller, makes his escape, having used his mental powers to brainwash multiple animals into his loyal bidding. Narmoto gives a particularly frantic chase after Dweller, but is defeated by the pale being as he gloats that the Shadowed One will finally punish his insolence after all these years. With a brainwashed Gukko to help him, Dweller flies off and arrives at the coast of Okoto. There, he digs up a submerged, silver canister, one identical to the one the hunter Kualus used a few months ago to arrive on Okoto, and later leave the island.

Dweller enters the canister as its hatch-lid closes on him, and the cylinder’s machinations begin to function as it heads back into the ocean, turbines activating. The canister begins to spin rapidly, and dives beneat the waves, heading out into the dangerous, endless oceans beyond Okoto.

With Dweller having escaped, the battle ends in a stalemate as Okotan forces retreat. Ekimu, terrified and having old trauma re-awakened, angrily confronts Narmoto about Dweller, demanding to know his past with the being, and who The Shadowed One is. Narmoto, equal-parts exhausted and paranoid, insists that the Okotan Alliance must immediately prepare an expedition across the ocean to track down Dweller.

Naturally, everyone inquires as to how they’d track down Dweller, and where he’s even going in the first place- There is no land beyond Okoto, right? At that point, Lewa interjects, recalling the story that Kulta the Skull Grinder told him… About how the Skull Raiders hailed from a cursed land, travelling across the ocean in search of a better, safer place, and found Okoto. On a hunch, he immediately theorizes that perhaps this is where Dweller is headed?

Expecting to be shot down, Lewa is surprised when Narmoto confirms this with total certainty, promising this is exactly where Dweller is going. Narmoto himself knows the exact coordinates of this cursed land, the one that the Skull Raiders fled from all those centuries ago, and promises to Ekimu that as bad Yagavo is, he will never be the threat Makuta once was- Because right now, a far worse threat is looming in the horizon. The Shadowed One has a fragment of the Mask of Life… And if he does, it’s possible he’s looking for more, or worse, already has most –if not all- of them!

Shaking, a rattled Narmoto insists that defeating The Shadowed One is now Okoto’s top priority, that as bad as Yagavo is, The Shadowed One is _even worse_. Everyone calms down Narmoto as his ramblings become frantic, demanding to know how he knows all of this, recalling that his past with Dweller still hasn’t been elaborated upon.

With Narmoto confronted and in a corner in more ways than one, he hesitates… But nevertheless, he turns around, and tells the truth, or at least part of it;

Narmoto was from this cursed land, a native to it like Dweller. He was once a terrible, awful person- An irredeemable murderer, thief, and criminal like Dweller. He served alongside many other people like him in a group, a mercenary organization known as the Dark Hunters, of which The Shadowed One is the ancient founder and leader of.

Narmoto is from there, this island… the cursed land of _Xia_.

More questions come in, but Narmoto insists that Ekimu set to work making a craft that can transport everyone to Xia. Arguments rise up, becoming heated before it’s all finally settled and calmed down. Narmoto explains that while he was a Dark Hunter, something happened to him that made him question everything- And tired and disgusted of it all, he sought to leave Xia and find a better place. He had heard of Okoto from a Dark Hunter named Shadow Stealer, and wanting to be free of Xia’s corruption, he headed there in a canister.

When Narmoto arrived, he changed his name and arrived in Tawahi, claiming to have been the child of Okotans who tried to live beyond the Mega-Villages, only to be slain. Chilled, Tahu, Jaller, Takua, and Kapura remember this story well, their faith in Narmoto now terribly shattered as they regard him like a completely different person.

Narmoto assimilated himself into Tawahan culture, eventually becoming the Protector of Fire. He had been surprised and dismayed to hear of the Skull Spider threat upon arriving… But after seeing Okoto’s beautiful, lush wilderness, and the goodness of the people there, he became determined to fight on their behalf. Narmoto insists that THAT is not a lie- But it doesn’t matter. As far as Narmoto is concerned, he can be stripped of his Protector status and thrown into a prison cell for the rest of his life… He’d be fine with this, so long as the Okotan Alliance heeds his warnings, and goes after The Shadowed One.

For years, Narmoto had been paranoid, knowing of Dweller’s presence somewhere on Okoto. He never mentioned Xia or his true past, being ashamed of it, and terrified that if the Tawahans found out, then Dweller might consider them a liability as well, and… kill them.

Narmoto was scared that the Dark Hunters might one day track him to Okoto and get their revenge, and in the process hurt his loved ones in the crossfire.

Silent, everyone else considers Narmoto’s story… But nevertheless, they are rightfully angry, something Narmoto does not fault them for. Regardless, he insists to Ekimu, swearing on his life that The Shadowed One must be stopped at any and all costs- That whatever he has planned now regarding the Mask of Life’s fragment, it will undoubtedly be cataclysmic.

Ekimu, having witnessed firsthand the Great Cataclysm, agrees that The Shadowed One cannot be allowed to recreate the Mask of Life- Something he and Narmoto already suspect him of.

Of course, the Protectors point out that there is still the matter of Yagavo to deal with- They can’t leave all of Okoto defenseless, unless they plan to transport the entire population to Xia. Arguments and discussions are held, and finally a decision is held. A group of Okoto’s best warriors will head to Xia, to stop The Shadowed One and retrieve at least one fragment of the Mask of Life- With the Mask of Control, Ekimu can destroy this fragment completely. From there, the Okotan group will continue to investigate into The Shadowed One’s plans, and deduce if the destruction of the fragment will stop him; If so, they will return home and help with Yagavo once more.

The rest of Okoto, Ekimu included, will remain on the island to combat Yagavo and the Brotherhood of Makuta’s return. Narmoto is a bit dismayed that they aren’t going to bring an entire army, warning everyone that even without the Dark Hunters, Xia is a lawless, dangerous place. Many groups and dangers exist, all at each others’ throats, and people are constantly killed in the crossfire everyday.

Intimidated, the others reassure him that they’ve fought Skull Spiders, Skull Warriors, Rahkshi, Energy Leeches, and Elemental Beasts; Nobody is invincible, but they’re used to danger at this point. A guilty Narmoto, accepting his comrades’ faith in one another, is the first to volunteer, deciding that if anyone dies on the mission to Xia, it should be him.

The others are concerned about his mindset, but with mixed feelings, agree that this only makes sense. Eventually, a decision is held; The Toa and Protectors will go on this expedition, in order to assuage Narmoto’s concerns. In addition, they will be joined by the likes of Jaller, Takua, Hahli, Macku, Kopeke, Matoro, Kongu, Tamaru, Hewkii, Hafu, Nuparu, Onepu, and Taipu.

Obviously, some reservations are held, especially amongst the Toa, about abandoning Okoto. Ekimu reassures them that they’ve done their part in slaying Makuta; They’ve done so much for a world that they had no connections to, prior. Besides, Ekimu and the Okotan Alliance are stronger than ever, while the Brotherhood is only getting weaker. Ekimu reasons that they should trust Narmoto’s warnings- And if not those, then they can trust what Ekimu has to warn about the Mask of Life.

Any trace of that cursed, heretical creation must be wiped out from existence, just to be safe. Just one fragment should be sufficient, but just in case, if it can make their conscience sleep at night… Then maybe the Toa can help Ekimu find and destroy the remaining pieces.

Emboldened, the Toa make plans to pack up. The Okotans are dismayed to hear that some of their best warriors are leaving, and shocked at the news of Xia and Narmoto’s past. Indeed, his fellow Protectors aren’t sure how to look at him anymore, and Lhii and Narmoto’s wife don’t know how to feel. Lhii begs Narmoto not to leave, and hesitating, Narmoto remembers why he left Xia, only to take on an entire swarm of Skull Spiders…

He promises to return home alive, then. At that moment, Narmoto decides that while his guilt is real, his son and wife are actually tangible beings. They don’t deserve to lose a family member, at least not more than Narmoto deserves punishment and justice. Maybe he can atone in some other way… but for now, Narmoto makes the decision to come back alive, all while ensuring that The Shadowed One’s plans are ruined.

Farewells are held, for the timebeing, as the lingering concern in the air remains palpable; That some may not return alive. Still, life has always been difficult, and those going on the Xian expedition have always been willing to die for Okoto. This sucks, but so has life until now. They may as well get this over with, right?

Narmoto introduces Ekimu to the canister he used to arrive on Okoto all those years ago, hidden in the basement of his home. Analyzing its incredibly complex mechanisms, Ekimu notes that it’s more advanced than anything he’s seen Nuparu make, all while having nothing to do with Life energy. Even as Nuparu and her fellow Marn engineers obsess over the canister, fascinated, Narmoto notes that Xia is a technologically-advanced island. It has no deities nor Masks of Power- Thus, its technological progress developed in a completely different way.

Working together with Marn engineers, Ekimu crafts a powerful vessel by reverse-engineering the canister’s schematics. Tapping into his power over Creation, he constructs a powerful aquatic vehicle, one capable of travelling across the brutal, devastating storms and hurricanes that surround the endless ocean. Upon considering a name for this new vessel, Ekimu is given a suggestion; _Lhikan_ , the name of an old friend who had helped Narmoto change his life for the better…

The Okotan expedition finishes packing up, making sure to keep it a secret from the Brotherhood of Makuta. Yagavo saw the Mask of Life fragment that Dweller had, giving everyone more reason to head to Xia, in case the Brotherhood wanted to retrieve it as well. Thankfully, the Brotherhood of Makuta has no presence on Xia, with Narmoto having never heard its name during his time there.

The final farewells are held. Transmitting data between the canister and the Lhikan by incorporating the cylinder into the ship, Narmoto sets coordinates for Xia. The Lhikan, fully-automatic, lets its passengers board as they bid farewell; And then its hatches close down and shut tightly, as the powerful ship begins rocketing off into the endless oceans beyond Okoto.

Elsewhere, Dweller hurries through the halls of a darkened fortress, finally arriving inside a throne room. A shadow is cast over him by the sole inhabitant of this throne room; The Shadowed One, an ancient, powerful warlord. Dweller reports that he has retrieved the final fragment of the Mask of Life, that all six are now on Xia; Now all the Dark Hunters need to do is find the remaining five. However…

Dweller reports that he failed to kill Narmoto and the Toa, and now the Okotans are likely aware of Xia and the Dark Hunters. Dweller is certain that they’re heading to Xia at this very moment, planning to stop whatever The Shadowed One has planned. Dweller apologizes profusely for his failure, begging forgiveness, and The Shadowed One playfully contemplates a horrific punishment…

But, he decides that enough hands have been severed today. Dweller is off the hook, _for now_ , and will be instructed on a new mission. The Shadowed One takes the Mask fragment into his clawed-palm, identifying it as the Fragment of Jungle, and orders Dweller to send a message throughout the entire organization via telepathy. All across Xia, Dark Hunters hear The Shadowed One’s voice, as he tells them to prepare to make a nice, warm welcome for the heroes of Okoto…

On the Lhikan, the trip itself takes several days, with everyone remaining inside as powerful waves buffet the ship from outside. Card-games are played and stories shared, even as the others ask Narmoto about Xia. Narmoto explains that it is a lawless, polluted land, an industrial landscape choked by machinery, with smog contaminating the air. Xia is a land that prizes only money and wealth, with a select portion of its inhabitants comprising an upper-class. Meanwhile, the lower-class slaves away eternally for meager wages, being treated as expendable workers and tools. Many suffer from poverty, and the gap between the rich and poor is unimaginably vast. Unsurprisingly, crime is rampant because of this, and corruption is everywhere.

As the expedition listens to all of this, intimidated, they are interrupted when massive sea-creatures of unimaginable size begin to attack and chase after the vessel, curious and hungry. Looking outside, the Okotan expedition is horrified to see behemoths and leviathans of unimaginable size, ranging from an enormous jellyfish crackling with electricity, to an axe-headed crustacean, and even a serpent that looks to be almost as long as the Region of Stone itself!

The sea-creatures begin to fight with one another, as some chase after the Lhikan. To avoid the beasts, the Lhikan heads to the surface, and a hatch on the deck opens as Gali and Kivoda head out. Utilizing their control over Water, they attempt to settle the waves, clearing aside larger ones that threaten to capsize the Lhikan as the rain stings them brutally. All the while, sea-creatures give chase, necessitating for the others to head up to the deck, tying themselves to the ship as they fight back. Gali and Kivoda try their best to help the ship go faster, with Gali redirecting lightning bolts with her Mask of Lightning, and Pohatu even tries to use his Mask of Speed to help; But it’s no use. A massive leviathan rises from the waves and swallows the Lhikan whole, forcing everyone to head inside the ship as the beast heads back into the depths below.

The Okotan Expedition resurfaces, grimacing over their terrible luck, but nevertheless manage to escape. They work together, using Tahu and Narmoto’s heat, as well as the various Masks of Power they packed for the journey, to puncture directly through the sea-monster’s head from within its mouth, wounding it as the Lhikan escapes into the waters. Even as other sea-beasts converge on the bleeding leviathan, attracted to blood, the Lhikan speedily rushes away.

A day or so later, and Narmoto notes that they should be nearing Xia. Everyone rushes out onto the deck as the waters become much more gentle, the area surrounded by fog. Dirtied seagulls cry out, hailing land nearby. To everyone’s shock, from the fog emerges a massive boat, which honks at them to move out of the way as a net hauls up several fish. The Lhikan passes by more ships like these, of varying sizes, all grimy and dirty, the crew being similarly dirty. The Okotans are surprised at how dirty and beaten-down these Xians look, and note the pollution and trash in the water, disgusted. A scandalized Jaller notes that none of the Xians are wearing masks, while Takua just casually takes in the sight, intrigued.

The fog begins to clear, revealing an outline of an island- A massive skyline towering with the silhouetts of buildings, as well as one mountain. Everyone save for Narmoto is surprised- Narmoto himself merely recoils with trauma. All the while, the Okotan Expedition begins to notice a foul smell, the pollution and smog that Narmoto spoke of, even as some of them cough.

Finally, the fog clears. The Lhikan emerges, and the Okotans see it for the first time; the cursed land of Xia.

Again, there is shock- Shock at how crowded the island is, covered head-to-toe in urban buildings, crowded ghettos, factories, and all the like. The roads and streets are crowded and dirty, and the roaming population all look tired and filthy. The land is choked with urbanization- There isn’t a single spot of clear, natural dirt in sight, not even a tree or even a small plant. Lewa, Vizuna, Kongu, and Tamaru are revolted in particular, even as Gali regards the murky waters below with a wrinkle of disgust. Narmoto clutches his arm to keep himself from shaking.

Even as everyone immediately begins to understand why Narmoto fled Xia and never wanted to talk about, the Lhikan begins to dock at the coast. The Okotan Expedition manages to pay to use the dock –much to everyone’s surprise sans Narmoto- thanks to Onepu having packed genuine gold and jewels prior to the trip. The group board the island of Xia, getting accustomed to the culture shock as Narmoto further explains how Xia works.

The Okotan Expedition begin brainstorming a strategy, and consider assaulting the Dark Hunters’ main base, the Odina Fortress in hopes of retrieving the Fragment of Jungle. Narmoto, however, warns everyone that a direct confrontation would be suicidal, elaborating on The Shadowed One’s dangerous powers and skills, as well as his mysterious ability to freeze others in place, rendering them defenseless. Likewise, the Odina Fortress is guarded to the brim with Dark Hunters, and its hallways are able to rearrange themselves to trap intruders and occasional rebels.

The group opts to split up, believing they can cover more ground that way and potentially find other fragments from the Mask of Life this way. The Okotan Expedition divides itself accordingly, with members going off and becoming personally involved with Xia’s affairs in some way, shape, or form. In no particular order;

Lewa meets an exhausted, disillusioned Xian named Kiina, a minimum-wage waitress working a dead-end job at a small restaurant. He immediately befriends her, much to Kiina’s wary suspicion, as she tries to instruct him on the danger of Xia and its cruel, opportunistic nature. Their time together is cut short, however, when they are ambushed by Kratakal, an armored being and Xia’s top celebrity. Kratakal begins to subject Lewa to brutal, impromptu game-shows that threaten his life, with Lewa narrowly winning them or getting away. Eventually, Lewa learns that Kratakal is a Rahkshi, a son of Makuta; But he explicitly betrayed his father, defecting from the Brotherhood of Makuta alongside his army of Kraata, Power Serpents born from Masks of Power.

Kopaka wanders into the Artidax District, learning about the Virus foundries. He eventually gets into conflict with the Dark Hunter Phantom, attracting the attention of the Vahki as they attempt to arrest him. As Kopaka flees arrest, he eventually gets entangled into the rebellious efforts of a small group of Xian hackers, who wish to defy the dictatorial rule of Turaga Dume and need his help. Despite lacking subtlety and secrecy like the rest of this group, Kopaka nevertheless recognizes the dystopian situation and works alongside them to dismantle Dume’s power and destroy some of the Virus foundries.

Tahu comes across a street-magician’s performance and is dazzled, only to be attacked by said magician and their clever tricks and gadgets. The magician reveals himself to be Conjurer, a Dark Hunter, who manages to distract Tahu long enough for Vahki to appear and stun him. Paralyzed, Tahu is transported to the Nynrah District to be dissected by the Nynrah Ghosts, but eventually manages to escape. Trapped in a mutated, post-apocalyptic wasteland, Tahu learns to survive in Nynrah. Along the way, he comes into conflict with Sidorak the Visorak King, who is leading an army of biomechanical spiders responsible for many of the mutations in Nynrah. Tahu himself gets roped into working with Malum, the leader of a Vorox Clan who wishes to defeat Sidorak and liberate other mutants.

Along the way, Tahu stumbles across the ruins of a laboratory, eventually being ambushed by a creature identical to the Fikou Nui that Onua fought. Easily killing it, Tahu wonders if the creature’s true origins are from Xia, even as he learns of bioweapons that are made for warfare and other purposes. He finally comes across the dead body of Spiriah, a scientist who helped The Shadowed One perform various experiments with Life energy. After defeating the creature that killed Spiriah, Tahu finds research notes that to his shock are Makuta’s, from prior to the Great Cataclysm.

Tahu learns that Spiriah got the notes from Dweller, who scavenged the abandoned lab near the City of the Mask Makers following the Great Cataclysm. Concerned with relaying this information, Tahu attempts to escape Nynrah and contact his allies, but instead picks up a mysterious, raspy voice that his intercepted his signals. The voice warns Tahu that he won’t be able to contact anyone within Nynrah; Not without the voice’s help. Unsure of what to do, Tahu cautiously heeds the voice’s advice, as it offers him instructions and information on how to escape Nynrah, in exchange for a few ‘errands’. Such errands involve dismantling Nynrah Ghost fortifications, with Tahu coming into direct conflict with the Ghosts during his travels. Meanwhile, the voice reveals itself to be named Nidhiki Iruini.

Gali and Onua travel through Stelt and inquire about Xia’s past and history, hoping to learn more about the unfamiliar island they’re on. They’re directed to the homemade Xian Museum of History, where they meet scholars Whenua and Tehutti. There, they learn the story of War of Six Kingdoms, which happened approximately eight-hundred years ago. Supposedly, six warlords known as the Barraki –Pridak, Takadox, Carapar, Kalmah, Ehlek, and Mantax- went to war with one another over total control of Xia. However, one day they mysteriously vanished, alongside multiple members of their top cabinets. Without any leaders, the Barraki nations promptly fell apart, collapsing as commanders turned against one another in a bid for the position of next Barraki.

Working from there, Gali and Onua journey into the Voymari District, only to be separated. Gali herself gets the attention of Xian nobles, who are dazzled by her control over water, and want to employ Gali to help them hold lavish cruise parties amidst waves that would normally be too rough to sail across. Gali, seeing an opportunity to get into Xia’s more powerful circles and have access to potential secrets, agrees to humor these nobles and becomes a bit of a celebrity. As she works her way up the social ladder, however, she witnesses first-hand the degrading corruption of Xia, even as she comes into contact with the ruthless Roodaka; CEO of Vortixx Industries, who wants to take advantage of Gali’s powers and reverse-engineer them to create new weapons of war for Xia.

Onua travels to the edge of Voymari, finding an unusual castle said to be filled with strange artifacts of unknown origin. There, she comes across Icarax; An armored, winged being not unlike the Skull Warriors she had fought a few months ago. An arrogant, powerful being with a penchant for bloodshed and combat, Icarax chases Onua across his castle as she navigates its unusual, abstract architecture and layout. Mysteriously, Icarax has abilities similar to the Masks of Power, and Onua begins to ponder a connection to the Brotherhood of Makuta, wondering if they’ve accessed Xia before. Icarax refuses to answer her questions and insists on battle, and Onua barely escapes after collapsing a portion of Icarax’s castle on him. Deeming the investigation as a bust, she goes off for better clues.

Pohatu journeys into the Zakaz District, and hears information regarding the Fragment of Stone’s potential location in the Baran Desert. Travelling there, Pohatu ends up allying with the Glatorian Ackar and Gresh as they seek to navigate the Baran desert with the help of Perditus, esteemed racer and rumored-serial killer. As they ride across the desert on Perditus’ Thornatus, however, they come into trouble with Fero and his clan of Bone Hunters, who give a vengeful chase across the wastelands in search of blood. Pohatu himself forms a close bond with Ackar and Gresh –and the latter in particular- as he feels almost at home in the brutal, arid conditions of Zakaz.

In Zakaz’s more urban areas, Onepu and Taipu get roped into joining the district’s brutal races, learning to navigate powerful vehicles far faster and deadlier than any Ussal. Hoping to win information regarding the Fragment of Stone, they participate in Zakaz’s races, competing against and making eventual allies with the likes of Crotesius, Kirbraz, and Scodonius. However, they get into conflict with the biker/Dark Hunter Reidak, with the conflict escalating when Nektann and the Skakdi Clan become involved.

Narmoto himself is separated from the others when the Dark Hunter Guardian gives chase, seeking to punish him for his defection by assassinating the Protector of Fire. Narmoto is chased all across Xia by the persistent Guardian, who ends up wounding Narmoto. Eventually, Guardian employs the skills of another Dark Hunter, Tracker, in order to locate Narmoto as they trace his steps, unable to be thrown off his trail.

The Lhikan ends up being towed away, forcing Kivoda and Macku to go off and retrieve the ship. Along the way, they clash with the Dark Hunter Amphibax, who uses her deadly Rhotuka to affect water and cancel out the buoyancy of anything within the surrounding area. After a brutal battle, they succeed in wounding Amphibax, leaving her to perish in the depths surrounding Xia as they retrieve the Lhikan.

Korgot and Nuparu come across a construction site, and are shocked to see mechs that employ abilities similar to Life energy. They learn more of Kraata, the beings that Kratakal brought over to Xia decades ago, and of the Exo-Toa that enhance their abilities. Intrigued and fascinated, Nuparu becomes involved as she hopes to analyze and reverse-engineer an Exo-Toa Boxor, all while Korgot remains vigilant for one of the Mask of Life’s fragments.

Nilkuu, Hewkii, and Hafu journey to Voymari. There, they come across a Field of Airweed, and learn tales of a ‘beast’ that has been feeding on workers. Unable to ignore the plight of others, they agree to help, and make a deal with Overseer Idris to track down and slay the beast- For free, no less! Getting into a submarine, they journey into the waters surrounding the Airweed fields as the high tide arises…

The group eventually locate the beast, discovering it to be an enlarged Gadunka, which has somehow grown from its normal diminutive size, and is now as big as the submarine itself! The trio battles with Gadunka, with Idris reluctantly joining shortly afterwards, and the group succeeds in wounding Gadunka. Defeated, the beast flees the area, and the Stone Trio are celebrated as heroes.

Jaller, Matoro, and Takua are horrified when they come across slavery, and see the brutal conditions that people are forced to go through. Sympathetic to these slaves, Takua meets a concerningly-young one, a girl named Kralta who is bitter with the world and resentful of Xia. Takua herself gets roped into Kralta’s own life, becoming unusual friends with the slave as she, Jaller, and Matoro work to free Kralta from her bonds. Now free to explore, an elated Kralta decides to stick with the group.

Eventually, the four of them come across the mad crimelord Karzahni, who has the ability to cast others into illusions that he claims are alternate, potential timelines that never came to be, or could still happen. Seeing his dominion over a small army of orphans, the group works to free some of them, only for the vengeful Karzahni to give chase across Xia.

Hahli stumbles across the hunter Kualus in a bar, much to the duo’s mutual surprise. Becoming re-acquainted with each other, Kualus notes her plans to head into Nynrah and do some hunting and other missions. Hoping to find the Fragment of Water in the ruined district, Hahli joins Kualus during her expeditions. Along the way, they come into conflict with the Nynrah Ghosts, and end up in the Botana Forest.

There, they meet clans of Vorox, including a tribe led by Kabrua, who seeks to ritualistically hunt all outsiders. As Hahli and Kualus evade Kabrua, they meet Norik, a diminutive-yet-agile mutant who can fit into the palms of others while still being a potent ‘giant-killer’. From Norik they learn stories of Keetongu; A mythical being that can supposedly cure any and all mutations. Norik has been searching for Keetongu, and after escaping the Botana Forest, Hahli and Kualus part ways with him, hoping to later help Norik once their own missions are over.

All the while, the group of Izotor, Kopeke, Vizuna, Kongu, and Tamaru team up together. They come into conflict with the Dark Hunter Ancient in an underground base, becoming roped in with other crime gangs’ conflicts with the mercenary organization as they clash with the likes of Lurker, Poison, Spinner, and Prototype. Along the way, Kongu arms himself with dual gatling-cannons, and the group of Okotans even end up leading a prison-break at some point.

Back on Okoto, Taiki is elated to see her egg begin to hatch, only to discover that it’s an Energy Leech, to her horror. Even worse, the Leech begins to imprint on Taiki, casting her into a moral conundrum as she debates ethics and the philosophy of nature VS nurture. While some Macans advise she kill the creature, others are unsure of how to act, and Taiki herself wants to believe in the right of all living creatures to exist; Even an unnatural aberration such as an Energy Leech.

Inevitably, Taiki tries to take care of the Energy Leech as other Okotans attempt to study the creature and its behavior and feeding habits. Eventually, Taiki even succeeds in growing the creature to Stage 2 of its mutations, as the Energy Leech begins to help her against the Brotherhood of Makuta! Still, concern is held over the Leech’s increasing appetite, which will quickly become unsustainable…

On Xia, Tahu eventually comes face-to-face with Nidhiki, who is revealed to be a four-legged, partially insectoid and crustacean mutant. Hiding his face beneath a Vahki head, which he uses to interface with airwaves and communications, Nidhiki is assisted by Keera; a rogue, sapient Vahki who is defective and somewhat unusual.

Tahu remains wary of Nidhiki, and eventually hears of Hahli and Kualus’ exploits. Seeking to reconnect with his friends, Tahu tries to cut ties with Nidhiki and leaves. Enraged and betrayed, Nidhiki employs a skilled, powerful bioweapon, capable of handling complex weaponry; A Bruiser, one he has personally named Krekka. Krekka gives chase to Tahu across Nynrah as he seeks to reunite with Hahli and Kualus.

Eventually, Tahu succeeds in losing Krekka and finally reunites with his friends. Together, the trio eventually search an abandoned cruise ship on a river, hoping to find the Fragment of Water, but fail. Things get worse when the three are attacked by a Kahgarak, and pulled into a portal that leads to the ‘Zone of Darkness’; The trio recognize this Zone of Darkness as a darkened version of Xia, and realize it’s the same Para-Realm that Yagavo is able to access.

Traversing the Para-Realm/Zone of Darkness, they take note of darkened beings in the distance who are watching them, before coming into contact with the Zyglak; A race of hostile creatures who were rejected by their Nynrah Ghost creators. After battling with the Zyglak, the group runs into a titanic crustacean known as the Zivon, which gives chase. Tahu, Hahli, and Kualus re-encounter the same shadowy figures from before, who are revealed to be known as the Kraahl.

Like Yagavo, they can access the light and dark worlds, and frequently travel to Xia to take resources for survival. By using the Kraahl’s knowledge of what’s happening on Xia, the trio eventually manage to escape the Para-Realm when they track down another Kahgarak and head through the portal it opens. Unbeknownst to the group, the Kraahl recognize them as being from Okoto, and send a few spies to watch them for the time-being…

Kopaka continues helping the resistance against Dume. Eventually, Dume is forced to send in two Upgraded Vahki models named Kranua and Kraahu, whom Kopaka comes into conflict with and eventually defeats. Onua hears rumors of Dark Hunters exploring underground tunnels across Xia and performing extensive renovations, before going off to investigate. In her research, she ends up coming across a Lohrak infestation or two, and fights Subterranean before eventually sparing the Dark Hunter. She takes note of massive, underground machinations of unknown functionality…

Fero continues to chase Pohatu and Co. across Zakaz, as they come across the slaver Sahmad, and the mad inventor Telluris. Nektann, Reidak, and the Skakdi Clan chase Onepu and Co., and both chases end up emerging with one another. The confused and mutual groups regard one another, sort-of fusing interests on the Bone Hunters’ and Skakdi Clan’s side as the chase continues.

Izotor, Vizuna, and Co. clash with Dark Hunters, only to accidentally damage some underground power cables in the process. This allows a massive behemoth known as the Kanohi Dragon to break free of its prison as it goes on a rampage across Stelt. Even as artillery-cannons fire on Kanohi, Vahki squads rush in to contain Kanohi, and Dark Hunters Devastator and Ravager are even hired to help defeat the creature. Lewa, not wanting to see any death, teams up with a Vahki squad to defeat and subdue Kanohi. For his efforts, he is rewarded with complimentary Vahki stickers, although Kiina of course warns him not to be friendly with the police.

Other Dark Hunters appear to clash with the Okotans and their allies. Dracax rampages through a neighborhood, burning it down as a living inferno, while the armored Gatherer hopes to gather more trophies. The burrowing Subterranean utilizes his slime to dissolve things, while Silence attempts to perform silent assassinations. Onua comes into personal battle with the Dark Hunter Lariska, one of The Shadowed One’s lieutenants and a brutal opponent skilled with knives and daggers. The Hordika Dragons give chase and pursuit across an above-ground tramway, and Eliminator is sent in to assassinate. Hakann attempts to terrorize a crowd, firing into them only to be beaten. Savage is released from his cage and given a scent of his targets to chase after.

Eventually, Eliminator is defeated, after being tricked into killing the Dark Hunter Prototype with her soul-destroying lightning bolts. Seeing an opportunity, Onua tries to infiltrate Odina while wearing Prototype’s corpse, now just a defunct suit of armor, only for Minion to detect her presence and attack alongside Airwatcher. Onua manages to defeat the latter and escapes.

The Okotan Expedition even briefly teams up with Primal, a mutant Dark Hunter from Nynrah who perplexingly has a code of honor. With Primal’s help, they manage to take down some corrupt Xians, while gaining something of their own in the process.

During Karzahni’s chase, a close friend of Kralta’s is slain. Upset, Kralta gets angry with her Okotan friends for not acting ruthlessly enough to defeat Karzahni, even as Takua reminds her that they can’t just kill as they please. Kralta, already dealing with a lot of inner turmoil and grief, questions why they bother in the first place with trying to be careful and ‘good’, when clearly such things don’t matter on Xia. Hurt, Kralta runs away, and Takua tries to find her.

Later, The Shadowed One gathers six Dark Hunters; Zaktan, Avak, Hakann, Reidak, Vezok, and Thok. He sends the trouble-making group on a mission to Okoto to retrieve the Mask of Control from Ekimu, and if possible, kill the Mask Maker himself. The six Dark Hunters are sent on their way using six canisters, but Hakann, spitefully hoping to get a larger share of the pay, sabotages Vezok’s canister just before they depart.

Somewhere along the way, Matoro is separated from the group. She briefly helps Pohatu scare off the Bone Hunters, using her Mask of the Undead to reanimate the bones they’re wearing and wielding. Fero insists on trying to kill Pohatu and the Glatorian, but after seeing his comrades flee, recognizes that he’s outmatched and escapes on Skirmix. Elsewhere, Izotor and his group find evidence of the Brotherhood of Makuta having interacted with Xian businesses and crime-gangs in the past, much to their horror and dismay.

In Stelt, the Dark Hunters bait some of the Okotans by flooding a nearby neighborhood. As Kivoda and Gali work to rescue survivors from the drowning ghetto, Lewa comes across the same Vahki captain from earlier –Captain B-8615- and appeals to the machine’s alleged duty to provide order and do good. Somehow, Lewa manages to persuade the Vahki captain to change its mind, and the captain makes orders to switch priorities from protecting the wealthy assets of nearby nobles, to rescuing lower-class Xians from the flood. Inevitably, the Okotans fight a few Dark Hunters, but they’re made short work of by Lewa and Gali.

Back on Okoto, Zaktan and his group arrive on the island’s shores, with Vezok’s canister malfunctioning just off the coast and forcing him to swim the rest of the way. After regrouping and getting into a fight with one another, the Dark Hunter team comes into contact with a few Okotan villages, and attempt to pass themselves off as regular Okotans. The ruse naturally fails, but Zaktan’s team succeed in wiping the floor with the Okotans they come into contact with. To remedy the situation, another group is put together to deal with Zaktan and his group, including Taiki and her Energy Leech, who prove instrumental in deterring the Dark Hunters.

Meanwhile, Vakama is attempting to mind their own business, traversing the wilderness of the island, only to be ambushed by Yagavo and other members of the Brotherhood of Makuta. Yagavo attempts to capture Vakama, wanting them to help him craft a ‘Golden Armor’ from multiple Masks of Power.

As Vakama desperately evades capture, aided by Krahka and Lesovikk, they eventually learn a horrific truth; Yagavo doesn’t just desire the Golden Armor to gain an advantage over the Okotans…

No, he wants to give it to _someone else_ \- And let them use the Golden Armor, not just as a weapon… But a body. A new body, after their last one was destroyed by Ekimu a few months ago…

To the dread of all, it is revealed that Makuta is, somehow, against all odds… _still alive_.

When Ekimu banished his soul from the Mask of Control, Makuta barely managed to survive through a portion of his soul that had been separated from him earlier, when Brutaka had attempted to absorb its power, only for Axonn to seemingly shatter it. Barely a wisp of energy after his defeat, Makuta’s essence clung to life with all of his remaining will as he re-connected with this fragment of his lost soul, surviving now as an intangible phantom of wraith-like energy.

With Jumala now containing Makuta’s soul, acting as a container for his father, the Mask Hoarder faked his demise, hoping to take advantage of the Okotans’ lowered guard as they rested on their laurels. While they struggled with Yagavo, who kept up the convincing lie of his father’s demise, Makuta worked day and night with his Hammer of Power, attempting to forge a new body for him to inhabit; One made up of several Masks of Power.

Vakama barely escapes to relay the truth to Ekimu and the Okotans, who are devastated and rocked to their core to hear of Makuta’s survival. Even as despair sets in once more, Ekimu vows to finish the job and destroy Makuta once-and-for-all. Recreating a canister, Ekimu sends forth a messenger to relay the truth to the Okotan Expedition, along with some additional knowledge that Vakama learned;

Apparently, if the Toa are within the proximity of one of the Mask of Life’s fragments, they’ll be able to sense it. Surely enough, Lewa recalls almost feeling a presence alongside Dweller, when they attempted to chase him on Okoto. Vakama hypothesizes that because the Mask of Life’s six fragments each held a huge amount of a primordial element, the Toa are able to sense the left-over ‘signature’ of their respective Fragment, relying on a principle similar to how the Mask of the Undead reanimates corpses.

The Toa take advantage of this ability as they attempt to track down the Mask of Life’s fragments, having learned that all six are now on Xia, thanks to Spiriah’s research notes. Along the way, they learn the identity of Shadow Stealer, the mysterious Dark Hunter that nobody has seen in a while; It was none other than Umarak, who was somehow able to journey beyond Okoto and arrive on the island of Xia!

The Okotans ponder how this is possible, because even if Umarak utilized his shadow-travel, it’s not possible for Okotan Deities to exist too far beyond the island. Stumped, they cast a few theories, but ultimately decide it’s not their top priority. Apparently, during his hunt for the Elemental Deities after the Great Cataclysm, Umarak stumbled across four of the Mask of Life’s fragments.

Having found Xia at some point in the past, Umarak deemed the fragments a threat and decided to keep them away from Okoto, travelling back to Xia with them in tow. Arriving, he scattered them about, with the fragments passing through various hands, travelling amongst various individuals and groups before ending up where they currently are. And of course, Dweller later brought a fifth one to Xia.

But what of the sixth?

Lewa learns that at some point, the Brotherhood of Makuta managed to retrieve the Fragment of Earth; However, when Kratakal defected, he took the Fragment of Earth with him alongside all of the Kraata as he left to Xia, which he and the Brotherhood knew of thanks to the Skull Raiders. After arriving on Xia, Kratakal, aware of the Brotherhood’s apparent presence on Xia, opted to store the Fragment of Earth someplace safe; The Archives.

The regrouped members of the Okotan Expedition work together to pull off a major heist, exploiting a system built within the Archives, one designed to remove the Fragment of Earth immediately in case its unknown nature proved to be a liability to the allegedly-safest place in all of Xia. The Okotans succeed in getting their hands on the Fragment of Earth, but are pursued by a squad of specialized Archives Vahki, and two Exo-Toa Kraahkan. Warden Rorze, an advanced Archives Vahki, aims to maintain The Archives’ role as the safest place on Xia, at any cost.

The Okotans succeed in holding off the Vahki, for the time-being. Regrouping, they discuss sending back a few of them to Okoto with the Fragment of Earth, so Ekimu can completely destroy it with the Mask of Control. However, in the chaos of the previous chase, Narmoto was captured by Guardian and Tracker.

Surely enough, The Shadowed One himself appears to confront the Okotans, with a wounded, beaten Narmoto in tow, having had his mind read of any and all secrets by Dweller; Including the potential location of a few Mask of Life fragments, as well as Makuta’s survival.

The Okotans, Tahu, Jaller, and Takua in particular, reach out to stop The Shadowed One, but it’s too late. Mocking Narmoto for ever thinking he had a chance, that he’d ever outlive his past as the worthless criminal codenamed Targeter, he raises his spear… and impales Narmoto from behind.

Everyone is horrified as Narmoto’s blood seeps from his massive wound. Someone dons a Mask of Healing, ready to heal Narmoto, but it’s too late- The Shadowed One is far-enough away, and finishes off Narmoto, tearing out his staff as the Protector of Fire bleeds to death. Before anyone can reach him, it’s too late…

 _Narmoto is dead_.

Enraged, the Toa immediately spring to action, attacking The Shadowed One and engaging him in combat. Meanwhile, several Dark Hunters appear to seize the Fragment of Earth, fighting the other Okotans. During the battle, the Lhikan is damaged beyond repair, even as the Toa clash with The Shadowed One, who puts up a formidable fight and is able to keep up with all six; Something few have ever managed to accomplish.

During their fight, they learn the truth of The Shadowed One’s ability to freeze others in place; It is his _shadow_ , brought to life by unknown means, colloquially named Darkness! The Shadowed One was able to end many fights prematurely by having enemies stand in his shadow, with Darkness, unbeknownst to them, holding onto their feet to keep them in place.

With the gig up, Darkness joins the battle in full-force, supporting The Shadowed One with his sharpened claws and flexible nature. Apparently, Darkness was brought to life for the sole purpose of ensuring that the warlord remained strong as always, and never once showed weakness- If he were to do so, then Darkness would kill The Shadowed One, and take his place as leader of the Dark Hunters.

Despite their best efforts, the Toa are unable to defeat The Shadowed One; At least, not before his Dark Hunters can seize the Fragment of Earth. The Shadowed One and his forces depart, leaving the Okotan expedition with no progress, and a destroyed ship, preventing them from heading back to Okoto anyway. Stranded and trapped on Xia, the group mourns the loss of Narmoto, who moments before death struggled, insisting that he had to make things right. Horrified, Jaller remembers that Lhii and his mother are still waiting for Narmoto…

Tahu, Jaller, and Takua mourn the most out of everyone, and a moment of silence is held. Narmoto’s retrieved body is boarded on the Lhikan, which while damaged still functions as a regular boat. Jaller dons Narmoto’s Mask of Fire, taking his place as the new Protector of Fire; And with a new flame ablaze in their hearts, the Okotans vow to end this conflict with the Dark Hunters here, once and for all. No doing things halfway, destroying just one Fragment; They would retrieve _all_ of them, and then destroy The Shadowed One himself. The leader of the Dark Hunters had made things _personal_.

Nuparu gets to work, reforging Narmoto’s elemental blades and gatling gun into Jaller’s weaponry and tools. Emboldended by their knowledge on sensing the Mask of Life’s fragments, the Okotan Expedition splits up once more, the Toa heading off to their respective districts –with Onua and Lewa teaming up with others- to find the remaining pieces before the Dark Hunters do.

More battles are held across Xia, with the Okotans no longer messing around- Things are personal now, and they are 100% serious. Pohatu reunites with his Glatorian allies, and they have one final battle with Fero and his clan, finally slaying the Bone Hunter in the process. With their leader slain, the Bone Hunters flee, while Fero’s faithful steed, Skirmix, loyally curls up around his rider’s dead body as a sandstorm closes in on them…

Pohatu eventually retrieves the Fragment of Stone, able to sense it and trace the shard. Triumphant, he notes that he should head back and help the others, and realizes this means farewell with Gresh, Ackar, and the others; For now, at least. Pohatu, knowing that the Glatorian have their own additional fight with Tuma and his allies, promises to return to the Baran desert one day and help them; Gresh, grateful and touched, hugs Pohatu.

On Okoto, Zaktan and his team attempt to infiltrate the City of the Mask Makers at night, aiming to steal the Mask of Control and assassinate Ekimu in his sleep. They predictably fail, and resort to trying to release the slumbering Kardas from its prison below, hoping to take advantage of the ensuing chaos. Although Kardas is awakened briefly, the Okotans succeed in putting it back in stasis as the Dark Hunters are soundly beaten and forced to flee.

Back on Xia, Hahli and Kualus come into conflict with the Dark Hunter Tyrant, who is eventually slain in battle. They retrieve the Fragment of Water, off the coast of Nynrah, submerged beneath the mutagen and toxin-polluted waves. While they’re busy diving, Jaller, Takua, and Matoro provide cover for the two on the shore, only to be ambushed by Karzahni, who wants revenge. In a final battle, Karzahni engages Matoro, who makes the decision to stand up to the tyrant and endures the worst of his visions.

In the process, Matoro lets Karzahni into her mind so _she_ can assault him with the past traumas and fear she’s had, alongside her own personal nightmares. Taken aback, Karzahni is left dazed and distracted, allowing a nearby Visorak pack to attack and stun him. Even as the Okotans flee with the Fragment of Water in tow, Karzahni is helplessly injected with VISORAK, webbed up into a cocoon, and dragged off for experimentation.

In Tametru, Lurker cuts off the Okotans’ progress, using Poison’s airborne toxins and spreading them, killing several citizens in the process. Pohatu, enraged, takes on Lurker himself and kills the Dark Hunter, using his Mask of Speed to brutally pummel the assassin to death from all sides.

As he does this, the others race for the Fragment of Fire. They clash with the zombified Sentrahk, seemingly killing him after they incinerate his body to ashes in a furnace. However, even as burnt-ashes, Sentrakh somehow still manages to live, and gives off one final stand before being put down for good. In the process however, the Dark Hunters succeed in escaping with the Fragment of Fire, now possessing half of the Mask of Life.

In Artidax, Kopaka manages to find the Fragment of Ice on The Mountain, a living creature of stone. With all Mask of Life fragments accounted for, the Okotans regroup, and discuss their next plan of action.

The Dark Hunters attack the group once more, with Dracax leading the charge. In the chaos, the Okotans fight back. Lewa, having learned the truth of the Kanohi Dragon and how it was experimented upon, breaks into its prison and frees the beast once more, earning its trust after apologizing for the pain he put it through. The Kanohi Dragon helps the Okotans defeat the Dark Hunters, easily handling Dracax, before flying off to freedom in the Nynrah District.

Meanwhile, Kratakal contemplates his father’s status, having apparently always known this due to bearing a connection to Makuta’s soul as a Rahkshi. Back on Okoto, Makuta takes several Okotans hostage, forcing Vakama to help him finish crafting the Golden Armor. Ekimu, Skull Slicer, and the Red Serpent succeed in rescuing the Okotan hostages, utilizing the ace up their sleeve; Taiki’s Energy Leech, now grown into Stage 2!

Despite this, Makuta finishes his Golden Armor and inhabits it, possessing the structure with his spirit. Ekimu challenges his brother, but Makuta, understanding the situation with his Mask of Life on Xia, opts to escape. Regrouping, Makuta makes the order to his Brotherhood forces to gather as he prepares to depart for Xia…

Back on Xia, the Okotan Expedition realizes that it’s time to confront The Shadowed One, and defeat him. While some of them stay back with the Fragments of Water, Ice, and Stone, the Toa and a few others infiltrate the Odina Fortress, attempting to navigate its confusing layout. They discover that The Shadowed One is able to rearrange the Odina Fortress’ layout at will, trapping them as Dark Hunters converge on their position.

The Toa manage to escape, but it’s too late; Some of the Dark Hunters, led by Gatherer, have already attacked their allies to seize the remaining fragments. Despite their best efforts, the Dark Hunters gather the remaining pieces of the Mask of Life, although Gatherer is defeated in the process, revealing a human Xian woman beneath it all to everyone’s shock.

The Okotan Expedition regroups, realizing that their desire for vengeance led to them recklessly charging into the Odina Fortress. Cursing themselves, the group realizes they should’ve stayed together, and worked on evading the Dark Hunters while they tried to find a way back to Okoto. Alas, it is too late…

Or is it…?

During their expedition inside the Odina Fortress, the Toa came across a prisoner; An individual named Ferri. Seeing no reason why they should leave her behind, the Toa rescued Ferri…

Ferri reveals herself to have been the once-thought-missing lover of Mimic, a Dark Hunter. According to Ferri, she was kidnapped by the Dark Hunters, who took advantage of Mimic’s –at the time named Vall Kopi- vulnerable state. The Shadowed One promised to help him find Ferri, in exchange for Vall’s services as a Dark Hunter…

Realizing they have a chance, some of the Okotans head off to find Mimic, while the others stay behind to interrogate Gatherer. Gatherer proves unhelpful, but the Toa succeed in reuniting Ferri with an astonished Mimic. Learning the truth, Mimic rejects her codename, becoming Vall Kopi again- But Vall is dismayed to see Ferri angry and bitter at her, for becoming a ruthless killer for The Shadowed One. Feelings are complicated, and the Okotans feel a bit guilty for exploiting Vall like this. Still…

They nevertheless ask Vall about the Dark Hunters’ plans, only for Guardian to appear, having predicted what would happen when Ferri was reported missing from the dungeons. Guardian is badly defeat, and captured by the Okotans, even as Kongu uses his Mask of Telepathy to attempt to read their two prisoners’ minds. All the while, Vall explains what is about to happen;

Apparently, The Shadowed One has been making major modifications to the island of Xia itself, buying massive swathes of real-estate, and doing construction on underwater areas off of the coast. Vall isn’t aware of the exact details, having not been trusted as a potential liability to the Dark Hunters, and with good reason. Still, she is aware that the Dark Hunters have been mapping out Xia’s underground, and with the Mask of Life’s fragment in tow, plan to traverse the maintenance tunnels beneath the center of Xia and commence the final stages of their plan from there.

Emboldened, the Okotans have a new game-plan. They make preparations to access the core of Xia, trying to find a way there. Kualus, Vall, and Ferri haul off the captured Gatherer and Guardian. Elsewhere, Kralta is alone, feeling watched and stalked by dark eyes in the distance; The Kraahl, who claim to mean no harm and simply want Kralta to find her destiny. They had noticed her interactions when tracing the Okotans, and are now interested. Before Kralta can learn more, they disappear.

Meanwhile, Zaktan and his team recuperate from their failures on Okoto, and Zaktan eventually reveals to the group what he has long ago figured out; That their mission was nothing more than a farce. According to Zaktan, The Shadowed One has likely sent the group to Okoto, not necessarily because he believes they can retrieve the Mask of Control –which in itself IS a liability to his plans, admittedly- but because he doesn’t trust the six, and would rather have them away from Xia to prevent any potential sabotage (Especially given that one failed rebellion). Angered and frustrated by this revelation, the Dark Hunters contemplate what to do next, if they should defect, try to get the Mask of Control anyway for themselves, etc.

On Xia, the Okotans try to find a map, but are attacked by Kratakal. Kratakal reveals that he knows all about Makuta’s survival, and reveals himself as a Dark Hunter- _Sort of_ , the relationship is complicated. Lewa assumes that Kratakal wants to stop them on The Shadowed One’s behalf, but on the contrary, he claims that he is doing this to stop The Shadowed One- And not just him, but Makuta as well!

Kratakal refuses to elaborate, noting that it’d be more entertaining this way. With his legion of Kraata arriving and the cameras rolling, Kratakal prepares what just may be his final performance as an audience gathers to watch, cheering the Rahkshi on as he attempts to kill the Toa in particular.

Meanwhile, The Shadowed One and his personal group of trusted Dark Hunters make preparations to leave, with the Mask of Life’s fragments in tow. But off the coast of Xia, from the fog, emerges multiple armored war-ships. They plow their way onto the coast, shoving aside anyone and everything else, even as levers and hatches open and lower, revealing…

The Brotherhood of Makuta; An army has arrived on Xia’s shores, consisting of Skull Spiders and the various animals they control; Skull Warriors and Kal commanders; Skull Raiders, led by Gorast and her fellow generals; Energy Leeches of various stages; And of course, Makuta himself, aided by Yagavo and Jumala. Makuta and his forces march in a direct patch to the Odina Fortress, bewildered Xians watching from afar. Dark Hunter Phantom attempts to survey the situation from afar, but is sent crashing to the ground with Makuta’s control over gravity.

Makuta mocks Phantom, before allowing a few of his Energy Leeches to drain the unfortunate Dark Hunter of his life energy. The march continues, and Makuta telepathically contacts Icarax, telling him to tell the other Brotherhood members on Xia to prepare. Icarax begrudgingly obliges, even as the Brotherhood of Makuta arrives in front of the Odina Fortress…

Makuta makes short work of Minion, killing him, even as Airwatcher is slain. A huge battle is held between the Dark Hunters and the Brotherhood of the Makuta, the latter managing to push their way into the Odina Fortress and overwhelming their enemies with numbers and unusual abilities. Dweller himself is ambushed by Jumala, who ensnares the Dark Hunter in his jaws and absorbs him completely.

Enraged, The Shadowed One prepares to confront Makuta, but Ancient warns him against it, noting that their plan is more important. Promising vengeance, The Shadowed One and his subordinates retreat through an underground entrance deep within the fortress, accessing the maintenance tunnels leading to the core. Amongst The Shadowed One and his group are Lariska, Conjurer, Reidak, Charger, Poison, etc.

Makuta manages to smash his way through the Odina fortresses’ shifting layout, utilizing Jumala’s power of liquefaction well as Yagavo performs multiple, stealthy assassinations. The battle begins to turn into a massacre as the Dark Hunters left behind are slaughtered; All the while, Krika hesitates, and leaves while no one else is paying attention.

During the battle with Kratakal, Gali is separated from the others, only to be ambushed by Krika. Surprised, Gali attempts to defend herself, but Krika insists that he means no harm, at least not necessarily. He reveals that he intends to warn Gali, telling her that whatever Makuta has planned, it’s best if Gali and the other Toa don’t head down to the core. Even if the Toa aren’t necessary, their presence can still facilitate The Plan, and Krika hopes to offer this final mercy/hope to them all. Gali, of course, doesn’t trust Krika and rebukes him, noting that if he truly intends to defy Makuta, why not reveal his plans? Krika, too afraid of Makuta, hesitates, only to be scared off by a shocked Takua, who is surprised to see him on Xia. Takua and Gali agree that this doesn’t bode well…

The Okotans manage to defeat Kratakal, who reveals that Makuta has arrived on the island. Not wanting his father to succeed in his plan to ‘take his rightful place among the gods’, Kratakal decides to grant the Okotans a map of Xia’s navigation tunnels, one that will lead them to the core. He’s not entirely faithful in their ability to defeat The Shadowed One, but if they are so sure, then he may as well give them the chance; With or without them, The Shadowed One’s machinations will come into play anyway. The Okotans ask Kratakal what exactly Makuta and The Shadowed One have planned, but Kratakal reveals that he’s running out of energy, and more or less ‘deactivates’, remarking that it’s so much more entertaining if the Toa find out for themselves.

With Vahki converging on their position, the Okotans, having already gotten into trouble with the law multiple times in the past, opt to flee. With Kratakal’s map, they find a secret passageway into Xia’s maintenance tunnels, and begin travelling through the technology-ridden underground.

Back at the Odina Fortress, Makuta travels to the top and plants his flag, loudly proclaiming his name to all of Xia and boasting of his inevitable victory over the Dark Hunters. He shortly after breaks into the throne room, only to be confronted by the Dark Hunter Primal. Noting that he doesn’t have time for this, Makuta manages to teleport past Primal, heading through the tunnel that The Shadowed One used. Primal, in turn, holds the line against the remaining Brotherhood forces, recognizing Makuta as pure evil and wanting to avenger her fallen comrades.

Primal engages in vicious combat against Yagavo and Jumala, as Ancient takes on the Skull Raider commanders. Despite Primal’s best efforts, she is badly wounded… Until she taps into the last of her power and achieves a sudden metamorphosis, becoming more powerful. She continues battling Yagavo and Jumala, defeating the latter and reading the former’s movements. Yagavo manages to finally get the drop on her, but in a last-ditch effort, Primal impales herself and Yagavo on a spear. Even as Primal dies, Yagavo’s body is badly damaged, forcing his true form to emerge; A small orb of light-blue energy, a wisp-like being known as a Night Wraith.

A frustrated Yagavo regroups with Jumala, even as Ancient succeeds in evacuating the remaining Dark Hunters. Ancient sets off multiple explosive charges, and the Odina Fortress begins to collapse on the Brotherhood of Makuta, trapping the army beneath the rubble.

In the maintenance tunnels leading to the core, the Okotans make brutal battle with The Shadowed One’s last lines of defense. Others, such as Ravager, Devastator, and Dracax head off to their intended positions. All the while, Makuta utilizes a combination of speed, intangibility, stealth, and teleportation to get past the Dark Hunters.

The Okotans take on old foes. Tahu defeats Conjurer, and Charger is slain in battle, tricked by Gali into charging into an exposed wire-panel, only to be electrocuted to death by it, Gali’s Mask of Lightning, and her control over water. Silence’s mask is shattered, leaving him unconscious.

The Shadowed One himself arrives within the very core of Xia alongside Lariska. There, he enters a massive, open chamber, built around a massive, spinning structure. This structure is generating huge amounts of pure energy within its center, and The Shadowed One begins to operate multiple control-panels. The time comes for him to unite the Mask of Life’s fragments…

Only for Lariska to attack him from behind. In some ways both surprised but also expecting this, The Shadowed One defends against her attack, inquiring as to the means of Lariska’s betrayal. To put it simply, Lariska wants revenge for all of the pain and torture he put her through, noting that The Shadowed One can figure out the rest. For a moment, Lariska has her enemy pinned down, and is possibly able to kill him…

But then Makuta arrives, and The Shadowed One takes advantage of the distraction to badly wound Lariska, blasting a part of her sides away as she’s sent flying. Even as Lariska attempts to recover, Makuta mocks The Shadowed One for believing he had everything in control, as if all of this wasn’t in regards to _his_ plan.

The Shadowed One, having grown increasingly frustrated and unhinged from all of these potential setbacks, renounces Makuta, reminding the Mask Hoarder that while he pathetically envied his brother, The Shadowed One fought in multiple wars across Xia. It was people like him that convinced the Skull Raiders to flee Xia, opting for the ‘safer’ danger of Makuta.

Makuta rebukes The Shadowed One, promising to take back rightful ownership of his Mask of Life, which The Shadowed One mocks, noting that he couldn’t even control his own creation properly. Makuta asks his opponent if he is so sure that he is capable of succeeding where he himself failed, and The Shadowed One accepts the challenge.

Makuta and The Shadowed One engage in brutal, vicious combat. Meanwhile, the Okotans succeed in pushing their way past the Dark Hunters. The Toa are told to go ahead and stop The Shadowed One, while the rest defeat the remaining Dark Hunters. Even as the Toa head forward, The Shadowed One clashes against Makuta, eventually defeating the Mask Hoarder by obliterating his Golden Armor in a massive explosion.

The Shadowed One recovers, seeing no trace of Makuta’s spirit, but is doubtful of his death regardless. Back at the collapsed Odina Fortress, Yagavo and surviving Brotherhood forces emerge from the rubble that Jumala liquefied, with Yagavo’s damaged body in tow. Many Brotherhood members were slain, and Yagavo considers chasing after Ancient, when he realizes that Makuta hasn’t reported back to him yet regarding The Shadowed One’s defeat.

The Toa arrive, confronting The Shadowed One. Increasingly incensed by these challenges to his rightful rule, The Shadowed One accepts yet another battle with them as well. Barely, the Toa managed to defeat The Shadowed One, but it’s too late; While they were distracted, the Mask of Life’s fragments were united within the center of the energy of the machination nearby.

The Shadowed One reveals that they are all inside the Eternal Engine, a massive, sphere-shaped structure said to be older than all of Xia. The Eternal Engine –or Codrex, as it is sometimes called- is the source of nearly all of Xia’s power, having fueled its industrial age from the very beginning. The Powers That Be used the Codrex to help them revolutionize Xia, but The Shadowed One has ‘liberated’ it from them.

The Shadowed One explains that the Codrex doesn’t just generate pure-energy; It generates _Life_ energy. To the shock of the Toa, The Shadowed One reveals that he plans to use the Codrex to simultaneously re-power and reunite the Mask of Life’s fragments together. Using the Codrex and its control panels as a proxy, The Shadowed One will be able to safely wield its power, even as the Mask of Life unleashes its devastating power.

But, what is he planning to do with the Mask of Life? All across Xia, surrounding the island and beneath the waves, massive explosions are set off as Zamor bombs carve directly into the bedrock. Drills and machinery secretly installed by the Dark Hunters, below Xia itself, begin to activate and churn as the Mask of Life starts to glow, the seams in its cracks beginning to disappear. Pure energy begins to flow throughout all of Xia, as in some areas the power goes out, while in others it overloads and shatters.

The Toa feel a massive earthquake, and then feel something moving- Something moving _upwards_. And not just them, but the entire room… And not just the room, but the core itself. And not just the core, but…

The Shadowed One confirms it, to everyone’s shock. On the surface, a concerned Yagavo realizes it’s time, and becomes increasingly fearful when he realizes that Makuta hasn’t yet contacted him of his victory. Surely enough, as energy glows in new chasms forming around Xia, powerful machinations are brought to life, carving through the bedrock below. Massive quakes begin to rock the entire island, felt in every corner of the district. In Zakaz, the Skakdi Clan, Bone Hunters, and Glatorian feel the tremors of the sand, noting that an earthquake has never rocked the area before.

In Nynrah, Sidorak’s eyes widen in realization, even as Malum braces for impact. Kabrua calms down his clan, uncertain, as the Kanohi Dragon begins to panic. Within Stelt, Kiina holds on for dear life, and the same Vahki squad that Lewa allied with works to help Xians, with the captain ignoring orders telling them to prioritize securing the wealth of a few nearby banks. Whenua and Tehutti frantically work to keep their book-shelves from falling.

Tametru’s operations begin to shut down as the tremors cause molten metal to spill over. In Voymari, workers evacuate, fearing cave-ins, when in reality something much worse is about to happen… Idris, having a change of heart, sticks behind to help her fellow employees rush to safety. In Artidax, Turaga Dume surveys the chaos, while members of the resistance against him send out warnings to one another to see if everyone is okay. All the while, the Powers That Be react in utter shock, surveying the damage from the Coliseum Atero;

Because what’s happening right now should be impossible. But at Xia’s coast, there are those who can see it, clear-as-day, undeniably, what is occurring. Even as the waters recede from Xia’s shores, it’s obvious, that despite the laws of physics it is defying…

_The island of Xia is flying_.

Boats off the coast panic, trying to board the rising island before they’re left behind. Massive tremors shake Xia, as chasms and cracks form in the bedrock. Multiple buildings begin to collapse, and all of Xia and its people tremble.

Within the Codrex, the astonished Toa are in disbelief as The Shadowed One confirms it- With the power of the Mask of Life, in addition to a few supporting boosters and machinations, he is now able to lift the entire island of Xia. On the surface, everyone watches in amazement, news-reports broadcasting live footage, as massive jets and boosters installed by the Dark Hunters roar to life, searing at impossible temperatures. Pure force lifts Xia itself up directly, and directly beneath the island and the Codrex is a massive pillar of energy, shooting downwards while simultaneously absorbing the ocean waters below.

The Shadowed One has transformed Xia into a flying fortress, and with the Mask of Life fueling everything, he’ll fly over to Okoto. The Mask of Life’s reality-warping powers will enable him to warp space itself to arrive at Okoto within mere hours; Luckily for those on the surface, a bubble of energy will mostly protect them from the rushing winds and storms that Xia is passing through at this very moment. The same cannot be said for the tremors and quakes rocking the island’s foundations, however, knocking over buildings and even damaging the walls surrounding Nynrah.

The Toa try to stop The Shadowed One, only to find themselves being pulled… As if a magnetism to their very soul is pulling them in the direction of the blazing Mask of Life, within the inferno of power at the Codrex’s center. Bewildered, the Toa demand to know what is going, even as The Shadowed One explains their importance;

The Toa function as the ideal energy-source for the Mask of Life. Of course, the Codrex on its own would suffice… But the Toa, as well? That’s just _perfect_.

The Shadowed One asks the Toa if they ever wondered why they could sense the Mask of Life’s fragments, how they were inexplicably drawn to it. The Toa, unsure, cite their previous theory, but The Shadowed One explains that there is so much more to it than they realize.

When the Mask of Life was shattered by Ekimu centuries ago, the power it stole from Okoto was released back onto the island. But, what of the power it originally had, on its own, when Makuta first crafted it? The Mask of Life was not an empty husk before it began to absorb Okoto’s energy; It had its _own_ soul, prior to all of this.

It was a soul, made up of all six elements, combined into pure life energy from the harvested lives of countless Okotans. Did that original energy get released into Okoto as well?

_Not quite_ \- The Shadowed One observes that the knowledge was lost to time, but the stars above Okoto, the ones that the Toa originated from? _They weren’t always there_.

In fact, they, and by extension the Toa, had appeared relatively recently in the island’s past… The first time the Toa stars were sighed in the night-skies above Okoto, was the first night… That first night…

AFTER the Great Cataclysm had occurred, after the Mask of Life was destroyed. After the power is stole was released into six, separate forms, while its own original soul beamed up into the atmosphere beyond, splitting into six individual elements.

The amassed souls of Fire, Ice, Jungle, Water, Stone, and Earth; They all separated and reformed, becoming their own separate entities. And the more powerful a soul, the more likely it will develop its own sapience, its own mind and consciousness, a personality…

To the horror of the Toa, The Shadowed One reveals their origin- They didn’t just come from _nowhere_.

Their connection to the Mask of Life is because they were _born_ from it;

They ARE the Mask of Life!

The Toa were born from the separated portions of the Mask of Life’s original energies… That’s right, their own existence is birthed from the countless souls harvested by Makuta! They were created only because of the Great Cataclysm itself, an incident that killed millions and devastated Okoto, which they were supposedly sworn to protect all those centuries later!

In some ways… one may even say that _Makuta_ is their father, and that the Rahkshi are their step-siblings.

And now, with the Mask of Life fully functional, it is calling back to its original soul… The reassembled Toa were not necessary to The Shadowed One’s plan. But with their power combined with the Codrex, Xia will be able to arrive at Okoto not just within a few hours… But within a few _minutes_.

The Toa find their forms glowing, their bodies dissipating as they desperately try to fight back and defend against the Mask of Life. But it’s too late- Its pull is too strong, and they cry out, cursing The Shadowed One, with Tahu trying to attack him one last time; But it’s futile. The Toa dissolve into pure energy as their souls emerge, and they’re drawn directly into the Codrex, rejoining the Mask of Life.

The Mask of Life surges with additional energy. Outside, space itself begins to warp as parts of the island itself glow, and a shortened path to Okoto is carved through the distance between both islands. Xia begins flying forwards, the tremors shaking the cities across its landscape. Outside the Nynrah District, its walls begin to tremble and crack, falling apart as chunks of it fall down and collapse onto the surrounding areas.

Cackling, an exhausted Shadowed One barely pulls himself up, triumphant- He’s done it! He’s finally done it! With the Mask of Life’s power, he’ll fly over to Okoto, obliterating any remaining enemies. The Mask of Life will absorb the island entirely through its beam this time, and with all of that life-energy at his disposal, The Shadowed One will become a god!

That’s what’s supposed to happen, right?

But then the doors to the chamber open. The final Dark Hunter collapses, defeated, and the remaining Okotans arrive; The Protectors and their allies.

The Shadowed One is temporarily in total disbelief, but his enemies confirm it, promising to avenge Narmoto. Something within The Shadowed One cracks, and he roars, loudly declaring that they can’t stop him, that it’s too late, that he has worked too hard and long, longer than all of their respective lives _combined_ , for these backwards Okotans to stop him! He has sacrificed nearly all of his Dark Hunters for this, and he’ll do it again if it’s necessary, and-

The Shadowed One is unable to finish. Before anyone else can cast a blow… A blade of shadow emerges from his chest, having impaled him from behind.

The Shadowed One gags in pure agony, eyes widening as the Okotans stare. Behind him, is none other than Darkness, who is now gleefully grinning, their claws piercing The Shadowed One from behind.

Darkness giggles and begins thrashing their claws around The Shadowed One’s body, gloating. They begin to celebrate, explaining that it’s happened, it’s finally happened- The Shadowed One showed weakness! He showed weakness, and that means it’s now DARKNESS’ time to shine!

Even as Darkness’ form envelops a struggling Shadowed One, cloaking him entirely, Darkness explains their former master’s title, noting that it implies something is shadowing him- That thing, of course, is Darkness themselves! There is the One, trailed by none other than The Shadower…

The Shadower declares a new reign over all of reality itself, amidst both islands of Xia and Okoto! The Shadower decides that their former master’s old, _boring_ plans of conquest just didn’t quite cut it; No, The Shadower wanted something a little more FUN, something a bit more entertaining!

When The Shadower absorbs all of Okoto, they intend to reshape reality as they see fit! Reshape it, into their ideal playground of fun… And amongst their first new toys and play-things will be the Okotans assembled, right before them!

The Shadower directly connects to the Mask of Life, becoming one with its power as they begin to distort and transform into something horrific, massive, and powerful. Their form envelops the entire inside of the Codrex, even as they promise to play with the Okotans for all of eternity.

Outside, Ekimu and the Okotan Alliance watch in horror as a floating island appears on the horizon. Recognizing the energy coming from it, Ekimu realizes that it’s too late- The Mask of Life was fully assembled by The Shadowed One, and now he’s arrived to absorb Okoto’s soul! For a moment, Ekimu is ensnared in PTSD, flashing back to that traumatic event…

But then a few good friends hold his hand. Vakama appears, reminding him that he isn’t alone, and there’s a chance to fix an old mistake. Nodding, an emboldened Ekimu summons his energy-avatar around him, donning the Mask of Control as he and the Okotan Alliance head off to battle. Elsewhere, Krahka gathers the Rahi to fight, even as Lesovikk and Axonn re-arm themselves and prepare.

From beneath Xia, the massive boosters and machinations make way for colossal artillery-cannons and other weapons of war that emerge, firing down on Okoto with energy-beams and even Xian Hearts, razing it. The Okotan Alliance fights back, defending against the onslaught of fire-power; But the Elemental Deities appear to help, fighting back against Xia’s attacks! Alas, the Mask of Life’s energy begins draining and absorbing parts of Okoto into a dried husk, weakening the Elemental Deities- But they keep fighting on regardless, pummeling the rockets keeping Xia afloat.

Alas, it isn’t that simple; Dark Hunters emerge from platforms that lower down, firing back against the Okotan Alliance. Among them are Dracax, Devastator, and Ravager. Dracax is initially mistaken for a Xian Heart of Fire, but when he lands, he comes to life, gleefully burning across Okoto as everyone fights back.

Ravager leaps down, single-handedly taking on an entire army of Okotans. Devastator appears, confronting Ekimu from his perch, and asks if the Mask Maker recognizes him still.

Ekimu is shocked, questioning what happened- But Devastator simply claims that he has gotten stronger than ever before, and confidently launches into battle, fighting Ekimu. Even as the two clash with devastating force, the Okotans within the Codrex desperately fight for their lives against The Shadower, to no avail. They quickly find themselves wounded, pushed to their limits as they use Masks of Healing to desperately recover, only for those to be shattered and absorbed by The Shadower.

Back on Okoto, Lesovikk appears, with Ravager personally recognizing him and vice-versa. Lesovikk greets his old comrade by the name of Chiara, and beginning to remember everything, Chiara clashes with the disgraced knight, one-on-one. The Kanohi Dragon appears, having returned to its old home of Okoto, also remembering things. Axonn works to destroy Xia’s jets and boosters, but so long as the Mask of Life remains active, the island will remain floating and absorbing Okoto.

The Shadower mocks the Okotans for their desperate fight, but also expresses gratitude for the entertainment. Desperate and down to last-man-standing, it seems all hope is lost…

Outside, more damage is wreaked across Xia. A massive explosion is set off, and even Brutaka suddenly appears, seemingly helping; But for his own agendas, much to Axonn’s dismay. Brutaka uses his power to take down a Xian fortification, and a massive detonation tears off a miniscule portion of Xia’s coast, a portion containing a booster. This fragment of Xia careens away, desperately trying to remain afloat as the Xians trapped upon it cling to life, many sent flying off, only for Brutaka to rescue them with his portals. The fragment crashes elsewhere on Okoto, the impact seeming killing anyone still on.

Zaktan and his group arrive to witness the chaos, and desperate not to be caught in the cross-fire, attempt to reboard the floating island of Xia. Unfortunately for the group, The Shadowed One’s orders to his Dark Hunters directed them towards attacking any and all outsiders who attempt to approach the island; Thus, Zaktan and his group are deterred by cannon-fire and lasers, and are left to figure out their next course of action lest the Mask of Life absorb them.

Inside the Codrex, the Okotans perform one last-ditch effort. Tapping into Kongu’s Mask of Telepathy, they send messages to The Shadower… Messages and memories, nostalgia and declarations of love.

At first, The Shadower is baffled by the gesture- Until they realize that the Okotans are trying to contact the _Toa_ , whose souls remain in an unconscious state within the Mask of Life! Desperate, The Shadower tries to stop them, but feels the Toa beginning to respond and awaken. Snarling, The Shadow tells them that it’s worthless- That the Toa have transcended mortality! That it doesn’t matter, they’re all just energy for the Mask of Life, and it’s time for them to perform their original destiny and finish absorbing Okoto as intended!

But the Okotans remind them of their time together… Of those small moments of humanity. Lewa remembers mourning the death of a few Gukko alongside his fellow Macans, and his secret friendship with Uxar. Gali recalls her insecurity and uncertainty over her role as a hero, disclosing it to Kivoda and Hahli, who patiently listened. Pohatu remembers Melea, and the death of Oda… and on his own, he remembers someone else, a friend from Zakaz…

Onua is reminded of her discussion with Korgot, after the latter was wounded by Fenrakk; And how Korgot finally apologized for the harsh treatment, and told Onua that she truly was so kind and good to everyone! Kopaka remembers just about every mess-up, slip-up, and mistake he’s made, how he once discarded all of his armor and tried to take on Gorast the Skull Berserk, stark-naked; _And how it worked_. Despite his failures, the other members of the Sanctum Guard kept humoring him, anyway.

And Tahu? He remembers taking care of Lhii, Narmoto’s son and naturally bonding with the kid… and he remembers Narmoto’s own guidance. Tahu remembers, fondly, how the Protector of Fire had a no-nonsense attitude when it came to him, making sure Tahu didn’t get too arrogant- And how despite his initial frustrations then, Tahu ultimately was now grateful for Narmoto’s toughness.

The Mask of Life begins to shudder and shake. The Shadower, eyes wide, stammers, calling this all inane, love-story tripe that shouldn’t be possible, that shouldn’t work- That this was _stupid_ , dammit!

But the Okotans manage to somewhat get back up, insisting to The Shadower that all of this is real and tangible- That while Xia suffered and hurt, the Toa helped them. While Okoto expected everything of them and gave little, the Toa ultimately came to terms with their duty and obliged.

They aren’t monsters, and they aren’t just the collectivist results of Makuta’s crimes against humanity. One way or the other, the Toa found themselves, chose who they wanted to _be_ …

They weren’t just someone’s shadow- They were _people_. They had love and pain in their hearts, and they regretted none of it.

To The Shadower’s disbelief, they can feel the Mask of Life pulsing within them as it begins to emerge. The Shadower attempts to keep it back down, but it unleashes a wave of healing energy that reinvigorates the Okotans. Even as they begin fighting back, renewed, The Shadower struggles to keep the Mask of Life covered, even as they repeatedly wound the Okotans, only for the Toa to keep healing them. Everytime the Mask of Life emerges, the Okotans surge forward, striking it with all of their strength as it begins to fracture, its old seams and cracks re-emerging. The Shadower panics, fighting back- But they have nothing to fight for, not really. It can’t quite be said that they even have a soul of their own.

Outside, Ekimu defeats Devastator, and uses the Mask of Control to strip him of his abilities, rendering the Dark Hunter powerless. Dracax’s heat is easily absorbed by Ikir, while Melum and Akida douse the living inferno, eradicating the Dark Hunter from existence and finally killing him.

The Shadower screams and cries out in pain, with each blow to the Mask of Life. Each strike causes it to fracture and split, more and more, as the Toa’s souls begin leaking out from between the seams. The Mask of Life’s individual components begin shuddering and shaking, no longer as attuned with one another;

Meanwhile, the island of Xia’s boosters begins to sputter out and malfunction, their energy fading. The main pillar of energy absorbing Okoto’s soul starts to flicker, becoming unstable. Sensing something is up, the Elemental Deities push on even harder.

Each Okotan inside the Codrex lands a blow, and with each blow they bring their own memories with the Toa, reconnecting with them briefly. The Shadower screeches in horror and desperation, trying to fight back- But as its confidence wanes, the Toa’s own soul glows. The Mask of Life begins prying itself apart, and as it weakens, the restraints on the Toa weaken as well. They grow stronger, and the Mask of Life continues to weaken, and so on and so forth.

The Shadower begins pleading- Its playtime just began, it can’t end like this! Not so soon! But it’s too late…

The final blow is struck against the Mask of Life, and…

The Shadower laughs.

It jeers, calling everyone an idiot as the Mask of Life immediately mends itself. It giggles, revealing it was all an act- That it played with the souls of the Toa, pretending to _almost_ let them out! They won’t deny that the Toa initially beginning to stir surprised and caught them off-guard, and even now they’re still aware, but ultimately they’re still powerless!

It was futile, useless. It was fun while it lasted, humoring the Okotans, but…

Now The Shadower is sick of this. Now, it’s time for its enemies to die…

…But it’s wrong- Because while it gloated and played around, the Toa did their own thing. It wasn’t their plan to break the Mask of Life on their own- That was just a distraction. While the Okotan Expedition fought The Shadower, the minds of the Toa had reached out into the soul of Okoto itself, connected to the island through the Mask of Life, and contacted some old friends…

To The Shadower’s disbelief, the Elemental Deities heard their old friends and responded. Because while The Shadower played around, the Okotan Alliance had done plenty of damage to the machinations that kept Xia afloat and controlled the Codrex. The Codrex itself was becoming unstable, and now…

The Elemental Deities combined into one, and surged forward, directly into the pillar of energy, and into the Codrex itself.

The Shadower screams in agony, but it’s too late. For real this time, it has messed up; The Elemental Deities rush in all at once. Normally this wouldn’t be of concern, but again- The machinations of Xia were damaged. The Toa are now fully aware. And, most damning of all…

_Ekimu gave the Deities the Mask of Control_.

Using the Mask of Control to weaken the Mask of Life, the Toa and Elemental Deities fuse their respective souls, becoming Kaita all at once, and overload the accursed creation. The Shadower screams in desperation, but it’s too late; They’re seemingly burnt from existence as the Mask of Life’s seams reappear, and its six fragments break apart once more.

But not only that- Its fragments break forth, separating; And those pieces, too, _shatter_ , dissipating and disintegrating completely, leaving no trace of the Mask of Life’s physical vessel in this world anymore.

A final barrier is put up around the Okotans within the Codrex, protecting them as a massive wave of energy bursts out from below Xia, releasing Okoto’s stolen energy. It pours back down into Okoto alongside the Elemental Deities, who make sure to absorb the power and redistribute it evenly across Okoto this time; Luckily, only a portion of the island’s energy had been absorbed, and not all of it like last time. The Deities carry with them the Mask of Control, hurtling it back to Ekimu as they barely ride with the released flow of power.

The Toa’s souls, having split from the Elemental Deities, unleash their power; A beam of energy pierces the ceiling above, burning directly through the structures and earth above. It emerges from the Coliseum Atero’s arena, searing a gaping tunnel leading directly from the Codrex. The energy-beam soars and pierces the skies themselves, and when the light clears, there are stars; One for each Toa.

The island of Xia, now devoid of its power-source, begins to fall. The Codrex has been burnt-out by the massive energies flowing through it, and the people of Xia hang on for dear life. Pieces of its ruined boosters and jets fall off, and several of them land on Chiara, interrupting her duel with Lesovikk. Lesovikk is stunned, but then notices something more important above;

The Elemental Deities, dazed by what happened, immediately set to work in carrying Xia, trying their best to carefully lower it. The Kanohi Dragon flies in to help, alongside Krahka and swarms and flocks of Nui-Rama and Gukko. Working together, they barely manage to carry Xia away from Okoto, just off of its shore as the island collapses. A massive tremor is releashed through both islands, a final quake shattering several buildings as the walls around Nynrah collapse.

Akida uses his power to redirect the ensuing tsunami away from Okoto. Exhausted and drained, the Elemental Deities more or less collapse, their consciousness spreading across not just Okoto, but Xia as well as they attempt to recuperate.

When the dust settles and clears…

There is another island, Xia, right beside the island of Okoto.

…

The inside of the Codrex is scorched.

It is burnt-out and dark, and the Eternal Engine has stopped churning for the first time in centuries. Everything is quiet, and the light of a setting sun beams down from above into the desolate chamber. The Okotans are unconscious, spread-out across the chamber.

And, somehow…

_Against all odds_ …

The Shadowed One is alive.

But just barely- He coughes, burnt-out and scorched from within. He might be close to death, who can say for sure.

Well, somebody can say something…

As The Shadowed One bitterly reflects on his failures, a lone warrior emerges. During the chaos she had retreated from the chamber to recuperate, and watched the Toa and Okotans rush by her as they challenged The Shadowed One. As he had taught her, this Dark Hunter did not concern herself with a fair fight, but instead waited for the perfect opportunity to jump in and claim victory for herself;

Lariska arrives, still badly-wounded from her battle with The Shadowed One.

The Shadowed One heaves, unsteadily getting back to his feet as he keeps himself aloft with his staff. He and Lariska coldly regard one another, both disappointment, but not quite surprise, at the survival of the other.

All others are either gone, dead, or unconscious. For now, it’s just the two of them…

The Shadowed One reflects on this, noting that he trained Lariska to be the ideal Dark Hunter. And now, she stands before him- Someone who can not only test his mettle and sharpen him, but maybe even kill him.

Lariska, in turn, bitterly stares.

A palpable quietness louder than any explosion ensues, and then…

Both strike.

Lariska lunges with her daggers at top-speed, as The Shadowed One’s eyebeams hurl forward.

…But Lariska had an ace up her sleeve. The Shadowed One had taught her to be clever, and clever she was- A hidden mechanism in her daggers’ handles activated, as a spring short forward the blade of each knife. In conjunction with Lariska hurling them forward, the blades sliced through the air at impossible speeds, and…

_Struck_ The Shadowed One, squarely in the chest.

Wounded, The Shadowed One falls back, his eye-beams flailing out of control and obliterating random things, but not striking anyone as he collapses onto his back. Lariska lands, directly in front of him, and catches his staff before it can fall to the ground.

For a few seconds, The Shadowed One bleeds to death, vital organs punctured and wounded, and then-

His eyes flare for one final attack.

But it’s too late; Lariska unveils another pair of daggers, and gouges out both of The Shadowed One’s eyes. He roars in pain, gagging, permanently blinded as the energies in his eyes sputter-out, only succeeding in damaging what’s left of them. The Shadowed One groans, defeated.

Beaten, he murmurs. He should’ve expected this- He half-expected it to happen for all those years, training Lariska. Making her stronger, teaching her to be the ideal Dark Hunter. Passing down his wisom, while considering the possibility of her killing him…

After it all, a bitter Lariska removes her mask, looking directly at The Shadowed One. He cannot meet her gaze- At least not literally. But their souls understand the others’ intent.

She asks him- Why he spared and saved her, all those years ago. Was he looking for a successor? Did The Shadowed One have genuine kindness in him, or did he just see a potential pawn? Someone to sharpen him? Some combination of the above-mentioned options, or something else entirely…?

The Shadowed One coughts out blood, and bitterly rebukes her. He isn’t going to give an answer, not anytime soon. He mocks Lariska, asking her if she hoped she could find an answer that she could live with, something to justify all the years of torture she had been through.

Does she expect him to be _proud_ of her, he sneers? Well, in the end-

Before he can finish his sentence, Lariska uses the staff. She conjures blades of crystal and impales The Shadowed One across his torso, killing him.

The Shadowed One dies mid-sentence, and perishes, right then and there.

Tired, Lariska hangs her head back, reflecting on the eventful day. She considers the staff in her hand, when…

Someone begins to stir.

The Okotans nearby have begun to awaken. Seeing that her time is up, Lariska re-dons her mask, and with The Shadowed One’s staff in tow, leaves the area.

The Okotans awaken, one-by-one, stirring the other to consciousness. As they look around… One of them notices The Shadowed One’s corpse nearby, and freaks out.

But, Matoro uses her Mask of the Undead, and surely enough, he is no more than a dead body, responding to her summons. For a moment, everyone is in disbelief over what happened. Did that, all of it… Just _happen?_

Concerningly, they note the presence of daggers and crystals, embedded across the corpse. Someone was here while they were unconscious, and finished The Shadowed One off.

But in the end, does it matter? He’s dead now.

Somewhat bitter, Takua remarks that she wished Jaller could’ve gotten the kill, or maybe Tahu- But it’s too late. And besides, it seems everyone had a part to play in his downfall. Maybe the final blow was seized by someone else, but at least it was even dealt to begin with.

Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief; They did it. They beat The Shadowed One and avenged Narmoto. They destroyed the Mask of Life… But what of Xia? What had happened outside?

The Okotans help each other up and head for the surface. Matoro uses her Mask of the Undead to puppet additional Dark Hunter corpses, noting that a few have disappeared… With help from the others, they dress up the wounds to make them look not AS dead.

The Okotans emerge onto Xia’s surface, and deter any potential threats with their entourage of Dark Hunters; Inevitably, they are incredibly amused by the unusual situation. They head for higher-ground, and find to their bewilderment that Okoto is not too far away.

Well- It seems Xia can’t be placed back where it originally was, now. Especially with the Mask of Life destroyed- Not that anyone would recreate it, just for that purpose. The group ponders the potential implications of these two worlds, so unlike one another, now combined into one, and head out. They’re tired- _They just want to go back home_.

…Elsewhere, Yagavo and the other Brotherhood forces journey across the ravaged Xia. A few Vahki squads appear, seemingly to confront them; But then the captains bow, as they note that Turaga Dume has long-awaited their arrival, and hopes to aid Makuta in whatever way he can. Thus, the Brotherhood heads off, accompanied by the Vahki.

Kiina and many other Xians stare out the pristine, island paradise of Okoto in disbelief. They have no idea what happened, but… It seems as if there’s another world out there, now. For so long, Kiina had fantasized about new land beyond Xia, about freedom from her hellish life.

And, well, now it seemed like it was here.

In Nynrah’s ruined borders, multiple Vorox curiously checked out the collapsed walls, realizing they’re now free. As Sidorak leads his Visorak spiders out, various bioweapons flee out into the rest of Xia, now unleashed. Malum surveys the district of Zakaz and breathes in the desert air, noting that he has missed it all, while Kabrua promises a new, eternal hunt for his tribe. From within Nynrah, Krekka helps Nidhiki and Keera emerge from the rubble.

Zaktan and his group emerge from their hiding places, stunned to see Xia no longer flying, and correctly deduce that The Shadowed One is dead. Now more or less free, the six contemplate their next plan of action, and decide to flee for the time-being; But as they do, Zaktan briefly pauses, hearing something, not from around him, but almost as if from the corner of his mind…

Back at the Odina Fortress, the remaining Dark Hunters have regrouped, digging up the rubble and looking for survivors. A tired Ancient sits down, solemn as he notes that The Shadowed One, that mad fool, put them through all of this- And for what? What laid ahead, now, especially since this was not part of the plan?

An answer comes when Lariska arrives, and all freeze to see her carrying The Shadowed One’s staff. The implication is obvious, despite being unspoken. Tired, beaten, but victorious, Lariska trudges across the ruins as all others clear a path for her. Ancient stares, and then bows.

Lariska raises the staff and stabs it into the ground, forming a crystalline throne for herself, and sits upon it. And as all the Dark Hunters nearby kneel, she stares… And smirks, triumphant.

The Okotan Alliance stares out fretfully at the island of Xia, a ruined, industrial wasteland, both horrified and morbidly curious. Ekimu reassures them, even as Devastator is hauled off. In the distance, they see them- The Okotans, accompanied by the corpses of The Shadowed One and a few other Dark Hunters. Everyone rushes out to greet them all, and tearful reunions are held.

They all head back to the City of the Mask Makers. Lhii and his mother are waiting for them, anxious… Anxious for Narmoto.

They don’t see him, but they do see a defeated Jaller and Takua’s eyes. That tells them everything they need to know, and Takua hugs Lhii as Jaller comforts Narmoto’s widowed lover. Along the way, they had retrieved the beached Lhikan, carried by Matoro’s undead posse, and within was Narmoto, here to be reunited with his family one final time.

Elsewhere on the island of Okoto, from the rubble of one of Xia’s fallen fragments, a lone child emerges. Somehow having survived the fall, she is badly wounded and hurt. Dazed, she wanders off into this strange and unfamiliar land, while many other Xians like her also set their first footsteps upon Okoto.

She heads off, feeling something, or someone, beckoning her. She finds a tunnel, opened up and filled with dead guards and ruined traps. It is flanked by those mysterious, darkened beings, the Kraahl- And they all kneel before her, Kralta, as she descends down the steps. And there, at the end of it all, on a pedestal, she sees what has been calling to her;

The Mask of Shadows.

A tired, weary Kralta locks eyes with the Mask of Shadow’s empty eye-holes, and yet somehow she meets his gaze. She and Umarak reach an instant, mutual understanding, and Kralta reaches out. She picks up the Mask of Shadows, turns it around, and does not hesitate;

She dons the Mask of Shadows.

As everyone settles down, exhausted, one of the Okotans looks to the sky, surprised to see the Toa’s stars up there once more. An ominous question remains- How will they get them back? The Inika seems obvious, but there isn’t a Mask of Time to reactivate it this time, and…

_Wait_.

One, two… three four, five, six…

…Does anyone ever remember there being a _seventh_ Toa star?


End file.
